Question and Answer

Joe Amor, Microspace Communications Corp.

May 27, 2003
How are satellite-delivered content distribution services offering complete solutions for meeting today’s corporate communication [business TV] needs?

What is a business solution? A business solution fulfills a need, often to relieve a pain. The conscientious businessperson considers relieving future as well as current pain. So with this new publication being entitled Satellite Business Solutions, the real question is, how does a satellite business solution eliminate pain for today’s corporations?

Pain in today’s corporate communications is easy to feel. Pain is in the downsized-budgets. Pain is meeting reliability expectations. Pain is promoting corporate needs with less manpower. Pain is deploying networks that won’t be functionally outdated in a matter of months. Satellite business solutions must eliminate these pains.

Satellite business solutions must provide video, data and audio communications that meet budget needs. Recently, a corporate network manager was looking at ways to deliver high-speed data content to the company’s field offices. With nearly 700 North American sites, the terrestrial pricing came in at $1.4 million in monthly fees using standard telco high-speed lines. On the other hand, a satellite broadcast network can deliver comparable service for less than $34,000 per month. The satellite network reduced the projected cost from more than $16 million to $0.4 million annually. This satellite business solution eliminated a lot of pain

Satellite broadcasting is ideal for sending identical content–such as training information, inventory files, point-of-sale pricing tables, daily summary reports, software updates and business television broadcasts–from one location to multiple other locations (point-to-multipoint). Multipoint satellite networks meet today’s reliability and security expectations. All users get the same content at the same time, just like TV networks. TV broadcasters have used satellite for several decades, because it is reliable. At the same time, hacking into corporate networks is all too common. With a satellite broadcast network, corporate content is as safe as the level of security measures that are implemented. Reliability and security pains are under control when using satellites.

Now satellite solutions must promote corporate needs, preferably with less manpower. You need to trust the provider. You need to be comfortable the satellite service will not go bankrupt, particularly during these troubling times in the telecommunications industry. You need to be able to depend on the service provider’s expertise and agility to support your firm’s foreseeable and non-foreseeable events. On the morning after September 11, 2001, many networks based in New York City no longer worked. However, one firm that had originated its video content in World Trade Center Two went to another local video facility and used its company’s satellite network to broadcast a clear and confident corporate message from its chairman. A world-class firm must provide your satellite business solution so that even in painful times, it will operate painlessly.

Lastly, a satellite business solution must be designed to meet your future. Networks only get bigger. Bandwidth needs only increase. Satellite receivers are speed agile from low bit rates to multi-megabit rates. And the speed is adjustable over the satellite. Capital costs and conversion time–two big pains gone.

So as you read this first edition of Satellite Business Solutions, ask yourself, "Do these satellite services and products really eliminate pain?" For businesses to fully utilize the benefits of satellite communications, the technology must be easy to use, and painless.

Joe Amor is the vice president and general manager of Microspace Communications Corp., which operates one of the largest business satellite broadcast networks in the world, with over 300,000 remote sites. For more information, contact Joe by phone at 919/850-4510 or by email at [email protected]. Visit the company’s Web site at www.microspace.com